Organizational Setting

The cooperation between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Ukraine has been designed to reinforce national capacities and to contribute to the broader development of agriculture, sustainable management of forests and fisheries, and animal and plant disease control. FAO is also contributing to building resilience and supporting early recovery in conflict-affected regions by supporting the economic recovery of farmers and rural communities. FAO’s presence in Ukraine has been scaled up across its five offices located in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa Kharkiv and Dnipro under the overall responsibility of the Head of the FAO Office/Designated Responsible Officer in Ukraine.  

The recent and large-scale escalation in hostilities in Ukraine is exacerbating the already dire food security situation of the most vulnerable rural households and small farmers. In response to the evolving situation, FAO Ukraine is scaling up its emergency humanitarian and resilience programming in conflict-affected areas of Ukraine, including previous areas of focus such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson; Lviv and Zakarpattia in the West; and newly affected and newly accessible areas. In order to address the rapidly deteriorating situation, FAO us guided by its Rapid Response Plan (RRP) that is aligned with the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and the UN’s Transitional Framework for Ukraine land focuses on responding to immediate needs by providing life and livelihood-saving assistance to the most vulnerable smallholder farming households impacted by the conflict as well as to providing urgent support to the country’s agrifood sector which contributes to both national and international food security. Supporting the capacity of the Government of Ukraine to sustain critical food system services is also a key pillar of the Plan.  

This is a home-based role, with the incumbent working from Mykolaiv, Ukraine.

Reporting Lines

The Agronomist and Extension Specialist shall operate under the overall guidance and responsibility of the Ukraine Head of Office; direct supervision of the Project Officer, technical supervision of the Extension Specialist in Conservation Agriculture, and in collaboration with other international and national consultants.

Technical Focus

The Agronomist and Extension Specialist will be responsible for planning, implementing, and supervising agricultural extension activities in Mykolaiv oblast. The incumbent will work closely with smallholder farmers, agribusinesses, local authorities, community leaders, and FAO teams to ensure effective dissemination of Good Agricultural Practices, Climate-Smart Agriculture, and Integrated Pest Management. The role includes direct field supervision of demonstration plots, technical advisory support, and coordination of both in-person and digital farmer outreach.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Support planning and implementation of activities related to dissemination of information to Smallholder Farmers/Agribusiness (Grain) and Small Household farmers (Vegetable) and using resources for interacting with them through digital media, mass campaigns, individual activities, technical support, field days, etc.
•     Support trainings for farmers/agribusiness (including development of training material)
•     Provide technical assistance on Good Agriculture Practices, Climate Smart Agriculture, Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Practices and related.   The technical assistance will be done through in-person field visits to farmers’ plots, on communication through media like WhatsApp or similar, or phone calls 
•     Supervise directly in the field for the agronomic Demonstration Plots in all possible communities in operational oblasts through field visits. All Good Agriculture Practices, Integrated Pest Management, Climate Smart Agriculture, Good Demonstration Plot practices should be implemented in each demo i.e.: proper land preparation including bed formation, establishment of wind breakers, drainage system, production of healthy seedlings, proper transplant, irrigation and fertigation, safe crop protection and plant nutrition, etc. The Agronomist will supervise all activities under implementation
•     Supervise the gathering of weather related, technical activities, inputs use, and any cost related information by assigned Demo Farmers
•     Participate in the elaboration of the Annual Extension Workplan and Procurement Plan
•     Support the implementation of best practices to ensure a high participation of women in every agriculture and food safety related activity 
•     Guarantee the use and recommendation of cleared agriculture inputs only, by demo farmers and that they observe all security measures while handling them, using Personal Protective Equipment recommended
•     Collaborate closely with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning personnel to plan and organize monitoring activities. Support M&E with information requested. Revise the accuracy of the M&E reports, Communications Bulletins, etc.
•     Contribute to quarterly/annual donor reporting
•     Continuous support throughout the procurement process, including but not limited to collating information as per procurement protocols for inputs, equipment, tools, and others, supporting with finalization of documents pertaining to Purchase Requisitions, Note to the File, and developing technical clearance requests to be sent to HQ’s specialists for approval
•     Collaborate with other teams’ members working in Vouchers, Grants, Communications, etc.
•     Keep good communication with other team members, responding promptly to others’ requests
•     Other duties as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Agriculture, Agronomy, Rural Development, or a related field relevant to agricultural extension and field-based programme implementation.
•     At least five (5) years of professional experience in agricultural extension, agronomy, or rural development, with demonstrated involvement in field-level technical support, farmer training, or demonstration plot supervision.
•     Intermediate knowledge (Level B) of English.
•     Working knowledge (Level C) of Russian and Ukrainian.
•     National of Ukraine or resident of the country with valid work permit

FAO Core Competencies

•     Results Focus
•     Teamwork
•     Communication
•     Building Effective Relationships
•     Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Thorough knowledge of Good Agricultural Practices, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Practices, and Integrated Pest Management, with the ability to apply them in field settings.
•     Proven experience working with smallholder farmers, agribusinesses, local authorities, and community leaders in rural or conflict-affected contexts.
•     Experience in planning and delivering farmer trainings, technical advisory services, and demonstration plot activities.
•     Knowledge of the international peace and/or human rights sector will be an asset.
•     Prior experience with UN agencies or other similar international organizations is desirable.
•     Strong analytical and research skills.
•     Excellent communication skills for advising authorities, stakeholders, and technical teams.
•     Understanding of institutional frameworks and coordination with multiple government agencies.